Cigarette package



'Sept. 13, 1938. F. x. M ALOCSAY CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed Oct. 16, 1956INVENITOR fiancw .IJYZalo ORNEY Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATESore 3 filai ms.

This'invention relates to an improvement in boxes or cartons forcontaining packages of cig arettes or similar articles. It has for itsobjects the provision of a box or carton for the purpose mentioned,which facilitates the aflixation of tax stamps to the packages while thesame are located in the carton; which permits of ready inspection'of thestamped packages without requiring the opening of the carton, and whichi consequently reduces the amount of handling of the packages and thecost of the application of the tax stamps thereto. I

At the present time, various States require the applicationof a taxstamp to a package of cigarettes when the same is sold within thatparticular State. not to his distributor, jobber or wholesaler and ifthat person is located in a State wherein the tax stamp requirementprevails, he is required to affix a tax stamp to each package ofcigarettes. This entails considerable laboricost since the packages arepacked in cartons, each of which contains ten or more packages.Accordingly,- the distributor must open each carton, take each .3package of cigarettes therefrom, apply a stamp to each package and thenreplace, the packages in the carton. The cartons are thus subjected toconsiderable handling and are often damaged thereby. Ofttimes on one ormore packages in a carton a stamp is inadvertently omitted, sometimesresulting in subsequent trouble for the retailer. Moreover, after thepackages have been stamped and have been returned to their cartons theyare not easily subject to inspection by tax inspectors. Therefore,should an inspector desire to inspect the packages of cigarettes in alarge number of cartons, he can require the dealer to remove eachpackage therefrom for inspection. Thereafter the dealer has thelaborious job of returning the inspected packages to the cartons, againsubjecting the cartons, which are generally of an inexpensive grade ofcardboard, to considerable handling and often damage, at the same timecreating a tedious job for himself.

The primary object of the present invention is 'to provide a carton forpackages of cigarettes in which the packages originally placed in it atthe factory need not be removed until sold to the consumer. If theconsumer should purchase a carton of cigarettes rather than a singlepackage, he will receive a sealed carton exactly as packed at thefactory, being thereby assured that the cigarettes which he purchaseshave not been handled a number of times and possibly The manufacturersells his proddamaged. The improved carton is so arranged that a taxstamp may be applied to each package contained within it withoutremoving the package from the carton;- without disturbing therelationship of any one package to the next; and without opening thecarton and without requiring the removal of 'any package from the cartonafter the stamp has been applied, for inspection of the stamp.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a cartonso apertured that the portion of each package in the carton where astamp is most appropriately affixed, such as an edge or end of thepackage is exposed through the aperture and is thereby available for theap plication of the tax stamp and remains exposed thereafter so that aquick glance at the carton is all that is required to enable aninspector toat once ascertain whether or not all of the packages in thecarton have had stamps applied to them.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an embodiment of the invention isshown, Fig, 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette carton constructed inaccordance with the invention; Fig.2 is a transverse sectional viewthrough the same; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modifiedstructure with the cover of the carton partly raised to disclose therecessed retaining flap.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing is shown a cigarette carton of conventionalshape intended to contain a number of packages II of cigarettes. Thesecartons usually contain ten or more packages positioned in superimposedrows. The carton is provided with the conventional end walls 5, one ofwhich is shown in Fig. 1, a front wall 8, a back wall 9, a bottom H anda hinged cover 6 formed with a downwardly extending retaining flap Iwhich, when the cover is closed, fits into the box in the conventionalmanner indicated in Fig. 2.

The upstanding back wall 9 of the box is formed with a plurality ofspaced apertures or windows ill so proportioned and located that each ofthem exposes at least a part of the end portion l2 of two packages ofcigarettes. In other words, the several apertures l0 located in therear' wall of the box co-operate in disclosing at least a portion of theend 'of each of the cigarette packages in the carton. It has been foundconvenient by dealers to apply the tax stamps shown at 13, to the endsof the packages of cigarettes and it will be seen through thearrangement herein shown, that these tax stamps may be easily adhesivelyapplied to the ends of all of the packill) ages of cigarettes in acarton while the packages are in the sealed carton and without requiringthe opening of the carton, or the removal of any package therefrom. Theapertures ID are preferably made as small as they possibly can be madein order to avoid unduly weakening the carton and are preferably spacedapart as indicated to provide panels of substantial width between them.It has been found desirable, although not absolutely necessary, toprovide these apertures 10 in the rear wall of the box rather than atany other location, so that when a cartoner cigarettes is placed indisplay position on a counter or in a showcase, the apertures are at theback and are consequently not visible. When a tax inspector desires toascertain whether any one or all of the packages in any particularcarton of cigaretteshave had the tax stamp applied to them, it is merelynecessary for him to pick up the carton and glance through the aperturesat the exposed end portions of the packages of cigarettes and he can byaquick glance determine whether or not the stamps have been affixed.

Instead of forming the apertures It] in the rear Wall of the box it willbe understood that they can be produced in the frontwall 8 as shown inFig. 3, in which-event it may be found necessary to recess the flap l ofthe cover as indicated at M to prevent said flap from extending over andpartly closing a portion of the apertures l2 when the cover is in itsclosed position.

The formation of openings or apertures in the body of the box for thepurpose mentioned does not materially 'weaken the carton and cannotcause dust and dirt to enter and injure the cigarettes, since thecigarettes are usually contained in wrappers of Cellophane or similarmaterial, and are fully protected by such covering. Cigarette packagesare usually packed in cartons merely for ease in handling and shippingrather than for any great protection. formation of apertures in thecarton does not in any way endanger the contents.

As herein stated, it is the present custom for the dealer to remove thepackages from the carton to apply the stamps to the packages and thenreturn the packages to the carton. When so applying the stamps, it isnot possible to immediately replace the packages in the cartons becauseunless the adhesive of the stamp has securely afiixed it in place, itwill be injured or damaged by contact with a part of the carton in theact of replacing the packages in the car- -ton. Therefore, there is alsoconsiderable delay in replacing the packages in the carton, in additionto the tedious job of removing them and'applying the stamps to them.With the herein described structure, the application of the stamps tothe ends of the packages through the openings I2 is extremely simple andcan be done by hand or machinery, and since the protective layer ofcardboard comprising the back wall 9, or other wall in which theapertures may be formed, surrounds the openings IZ, it acts asprotection for the newly-afiixed wet stamps (which are usuallydecalcomanias, although sometimes applied by printing methods) andprevents them from being damaged not only while they are drying but alsosubsequently when cartons are stacked one upon stamps are applied to theends or edge portions of the packages of cigarettes thereby governingTherefore, the 4 the location of the aperture or apertures through whichthe stamps are applied to the packages and which thereafter permit theinspection of the applied stamps. It is therefore obvious that inreferring to the formation of one or more apertures in a wall ofthecarton, the particular wall meant will be any portion of the cartonwherein such aperture or apertures must be formed to enable the stampsto be applied to the position on a package either most desirable orpossibly required in the future by law.

Regardless of which wall portion of the carton the'aper-ture orapertures are formed in, it is desirous that all of the apertures beproduced in the same Wall. This is important since speed in theapplication of the stamps to the packages is highly desirable and if thecarton has to be turned over one or more times to present theopeningsfor the placement of the stamps, inconvenience and delay in thestamp-aflixing operation occurs. Additionally, the stamps usuallyapplied to cigarette packages at the present time are decalcomaniaswhich are applied in a moistened condition to the packages and require ashort time after their application to dry before they can be handledwithout the possibility of damaging or destroying them. Therefore, whenthe window openings or apertures in the carton are all located in thesame wall thereof, the cartons can be immediately stacked in such aposition that the applied decalcomanias are not likely to be broughtinto contact with any article or surface likely to damage the appliedstamps. Moreover, it is contemplated that the stamps will be applied byautomatic machines, and in such case, the shifting of the carton on asupport, to present the Window openings located in different sides ofthe carton to the stamp applying means. would not only require a greatdeal of additional mechanism in the machine but might materially slow upthe application of the stamps.

With the construction disclosed, the labor re quired in the aflixationof tax stamps and the possibility of omitting a stamp from any packageis greatly reduced; the handling of the cigarette packages and thecartons is greatly minimized; the carton as originally packed at thefactory is delivered to a purchaser of a carton of cigarettes in asealed and untampered condition. The retailer is spared the necessity ofunpacking all of his cartons'at the demand of a tax inspector, and thetax inspector is saved a great deal of time since he can at a singleglance, and in the time it now takes to inspect a single package,inspect a whole carton of packages and this Without removing thepackages from the carton.

What I claim is:

'1. A closed box or carton for containing several layers of packages ofcigarettes or like articles, one of the walls of said carton beingformed with a plurality of spaced window openings, each of said openingsoverlying a portion of an edge of more than one package of cigaretteswhereby tax stamps may be afiixed to the edge portions ol more than onepackage of cigarettes through each opening, each of said openings beingsmaller than the size of a cigarette package, the wall in the cartonopposite the openings being so re lated to the packages visible throughthe openings as to hold said packages against saidwalhprovided with saidopenings with said opposite wall constituting an abutment for thepackages while the tax stamps are being applied thereto, and all of saidopenings being insubstantial alinement (ill so that the stainps may beapplied therethrough onto the packages.

2. A closed box or carton of the character set forth in claim 1,characterized by said carton being of elongated rectangular form andsaid window openings being of elongated formation and extendingtransversely of the wall in which they are formed, said cigarettepackage being arranged in stacked relation in the carton and havingtheir abutting faces substantially intersecting the transverse medianlines of the elongated openings.

3. A closed box or carton of the character set forth in claim 1,characterized by said carton being of elongated rectangular form andsaid window openings being of elongated formation and extendingtransversely of the wall in which they are formed, said cigarettepackages being arranged in stacked relation in the-carton and havingtheir abutting faces substantially intersecting the transverse medianlines of the elongated openings, said openings being formed in the frontwall of the carton, a hinged cover for the carton and a retaining flapcarried by the free edge of the cover to lie within the front wall ofthe carton, said flap having edge notches providing clearances for thewindow openings.

FRANCIS K. MALOCSAY.

